TMS - FORO ITALICO

May 17, 2000

Venus Williams

Q. Welcome back, Venus. You know, about one month or two months ago I read where an agency told us that you were going to stop playing tennis. It was very scary. It said, "Venus Williams considering an outstanding stop. Her father suggested her to stop in January 2001." One year. So I can see you are back, and I must think that this was totally invented?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I don't know. Things always get out of hand. Any small news that is not news becomes news. I'm back. I'm playing all right. This is my second tournament of the year. I'm feeling all right. I was having fun today. That was the most important thing. Even when I was not serving my best or playing my best, I was still having fun. I still have fun playing tennis. This is what I want to do at this point. If I decide this is not good for me, I'll definitely retire.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yes. Yes.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I don't think so, it just took much longer than what I anticipated. They just kept bothering me; they wouldn't get better no matter what I tried, so I just had to stay out with the fear of reinjuring myself and not being able to play for a longer period of time. Mostly, I'm ready to go play. I kept saying to my dad, "I'm ready, I'm ready." My dad said you can make your own decision, but I suggest you pull out, so I listened and I think it was a good idea. So I'm pain-free now.

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I'm really starting to play better now. Starting last week in Hamburg, I was a little iffy. Not that I wasn't -- it was just tough. I was not practicing very much time, and I was -- I just had to learn a tough lesson. And this week we've been practicing hard, playing better, I've been thinking about my tennis off the court. And I feel better. My shots are going a lot better. I think my shot selection is better also.

VENUS WILLIAMS: For me it's not very tough. I'm not sure for other players, but I watch a lot of tennis. I watch all the tennis on TV. So I was thinking a lot when I was not playing, and it was almost as if I was playing tennis because I was thinking about the things I could do when I came back. So when I came back, I was actually a little bit smarter.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I've never been on a diet. Diets don't work.

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, yeah, I was studying, but I didn't have that many classes because I thought I was going to be playing at the beginning of the year. But I haven't been studying. I'm not studying this quarter or -- I'm going to go back in October, but I don't think full-time because I missed so much at the beginning of the year. So, yeah, I enjoy studying and one day I'll have a degree.

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I like playing tennis more. Studying is a real job. (Laughter.) And now I understand my job now. (Laughter.)

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's a great opportunity. As long as I don't have to work, sure.

VENUS WILLIAMS: As long as he doesn't question me.

VENUS WILLIAMS: All right. Thanks.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I missed tennis, but I had a lot to do. Every day was packed, and it was like I was the one at home so I did everything. I became the business women. I did things for Serena, things for my mom, things for my dad, things for myself, and everyone's affairs I handled. So they were mine. And for me, I have a lot of things I do outside of tennis, and I missed it. I wanted to get back. I did everything I could to get back when I could, but I had fun. It was me and my dad, watching TV late at night, he said, "Venus, go to bed." "All right," then I'd fall asleep on the couch. This was every night. So when I had to leave, it was strange. No more TV on the couch with daddy, so...

VENUS WILLIAMS: You know, I thought I was moving okay in Hamburg. I moved more effectively. We've been working on making more shots. We had been working on movement more. It's just a matter of time. I was really off in Hamburg. I was thinking what I wanted to do but I couldn't exactly do it. But here this week I'm doing more of what I want to do. I'm actually executing.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I listened to them.

VENUS WILLIAMS: What are you talking about?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I don't know.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's strange because there's no applause, there's no -- you don't hear the crowd. It's just very quiet. No, I listen to it.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Serena. Sometimes she commentates.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Last I heard, she had lost her passport. (Laughter.) She was in Miami getting her passport, she was talking to me about three minutes, she said, "They called my number." I haven't heard from her since. So... She has her passport and that means she's coming.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It's fine. I'm feeling real good. If I wasn't good, I would just be shipped home. Yeah... But I'm feeling all right, and I'm feeling no pain. It's not holding me back from my regular shots.

VENUS WILLIAMS: When I was at home?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, my dad, he wanted me to do a lot of fitness work, but I usually found a way to get out of it. He said, "Now, Venus, what time do you want to do the fitness work," I said, "I'll be home at 5 o'clock," and things went wrong and I didn't come home at five. And it's no fun running.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I got quite a few, but I start liking a particular dress and I don't want to get out of it. If you request a special color, I could maybe pick it out. (Laughter.)

VENUS WILLIAMS: I can't wear red for the simple reason that last week when I wore red in the second match I didn't win it. So I can wear red in the third match.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm sorry. Blue was last season. (Laughter.) Say yellow.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Okay, yellow. (Laughter.)

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